Witch Craft  

Witchcraft is a nebulous term and is hard to distinctly define as it is open to interpretation depending on the practitioner or scholar. 

As a practice, witchcraft dates back as early as the 10th century. However, it grew in prominence as a Renaissance phenomenon around the 15th century, said Fabrizio Conti, Ph.D., historian and lecturer in history at John Cabot University in Rome, Italy.

"We can define witchcraft as a series of beliefs that were put together by intellectual means," he said. 

According to Conti, historical interpretations of witchcraft depend on certain scholars. For instance, some believe all witchcraft shares the same elements and beliefs everywhere. However, others take an approach similar to historian Richard Kieckhefer,  who stated certain mythologies in witchcraft are found in specific geographical locations and not in others, defining witchcraft as more individual, cultural and regional. 

Witch Craft : Crime Or Not 

In the 15th century, the "Malleus Maleficarum," translated to "The Hammer of Witches," by Heinrich Kramer popularized the idea that witchcraft is to perform evil acts and spells, particularly against men. 

The first visual of witches flying on broomsticks came through "Le champion des dames," which depicted two women, one riding a broom and the other riding a stick. These women were "Waldensians," who were later accused by the Church of practicing witchcraft and holding illicit Sabbath celebrations.

From there, the condemnation of witches continued to grow as witchcraft became a heretical crime. The "Malleus Maleficarum" spurred centuries long witch-hunts and trials within Europe, codifying folklore into fact.

Back then, men were seen as smarter and more clever, being able to resist the so-called demonic temptations women could not. As a result, even the crime of heresy was gendered. Heresy is a doctrinal, theological component meaning to contradict religious beliefs. Generally, men were accused of being heretics, but not witches. 

"In order to become a heretic, you need it to be smarter," said Conti. "On the contrary, in order to become a witch, (you could be) a simple woman from a village scattered in the middle of nowhere."

In the U.S., these same principles applied to the vilifying of witchcraft during the Salem witch trials which occurred between 1692 and 1693. More than 200 people were accused of practicing "Devil's magic," and 20 were condemned to execution. 

Practices : 

 

Where belief in malicious magic practices exists, practitioners are typically forbidden by law as well as hated and feared by the general populace, while beneficial magic is tolerated or even accepted wholesale by the people—even if the orthodox establishment opposes it.
In some definitions, witches differ from sorceresses in that they do not need to use tools or actions to curse; their maleficium is believed to flow from some intangible inner quality, may be unaware of being a witch, or may have been convinced of their nature by the suggestion of others. This definition was pioneered in 1937 in a study of central African magical beliefs by E. E. Evans-Pritchard, who cautioned that it might not match English usage. Historians have found this definition difficult to apply to European witchcraft, where witches were believed to use physical techniques, as well as some who were believed to cause harm by thought alone.

Witch Hunting In India : 

India is no exception to such superstitious practices and beliefs, but this psyche practice is hidden in the different corners of the world including Asia and Africa after the 18th century. The idea of witchcraft and sorcery still exists in society. Both the educated and uneducated people, have time and again resorted to superstitious practices to cure illness, find love, and rationalize bad events.

Modern witch-hunts are mostly restricted to the economically weak and the marginalized section of the society. It was also observed that there is an involvement of own family members who indulged in these practices in the name of social cleansing. Witchcraft has emphasized its close links to morals and was also associated with neo-paganism, shamanism, and the deeds of traditional healers. 

According to the NCRB study, three Indian states, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Odisha are among the worst hit, each accounting for about 400 deaths in the past 15 years. In the past three centuries, Sub-saharan Africa has witnessed children as a victim of these evil practices. It was observed in various researches that witch-craft related incidents are more common in those areas which have larger tribal populations as compared to other populations. This crime is most prevalent in negligible economically developed countries or states with little or no access to basic education and health care facilities. According to the statistics given by the National Crimes Record Bureau, crimes concerning witch-hunting there have been 2391 murders or culpable homicides between 1999 and 2013 in India.